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| Salar de Carcote | |
|---|---|
| Name | Carcote |
| Location | Tarapacá Region, Chile |
| Type | Salt flat |
| Elevation | 3,700–3,800 m |
| Basin countries | Chile |
Salar de Carcote is a high‑altitude salt pan in the Andes of northern Chile, located within the Tarapacá Region near the border with Bolivia. The site lies west of the Altiplano basin and south of the Salar de Coipasa–Salar de Uyuni complex, forming part of a chain of Andean salars that record Neogene and Quaternary climatic and tectonic evolution. Its landscape combines a crustal salt surface, seasonal saline lagoons, and volcanic and lacustrine geomorphology characteristic of the Central Volcanic Zone and adjacent basins.
The salt flat sits at approximately 3,700–3,800 metres above sea level on the western margin of the Altiplano-Puna plateau, between the volcanic alignments of the Cordillera Occidental and the intermontane basins drained toward the Pacific Ocean. Nearby geographic features include the Salar de Coipasa to the northeast, the city of Iquique to the west, and volcanic edifices such as Láscar and Pular. Administratively the area is part of the Tamarugal Province within the Tarapacá Region and lies in proximity to traditional transit routes connecting highland settlements like Colchane and lowland ports like Iquique. The regional setting exposes the salar to influences from the Atacama Desert corridor and the broader Andean orogeny structural framework.
The origin of the salt flat is linked to Neogene to Quaternary tectonism and paleolake dynamics associated with the uplift of the Andes and drainage reorganization across the Altiplano, a process tied to the Nazca Plate–South American Plate convergence. Lacustrine deposits and evaporite sequences within the basin preserve evidence for ancient lakes contemporaneous with the paleolakes that produced the Salar de Atacama and Lake Titicaca fluctuations. Volcaniclastic sedimentation from eruptions of the Central Volcanic Zone volcanoes, including inputs from Láscar, contributed tephra layers used for stratigraphic correlation with basins such as the Puna and Loa River catchments. Structural controls, including normal and reverse faulting associated with the regional thrust belt, created closed depressions that promoted endorheic conditions necessary for salt accumulation and evaporite formation.
Hydrologically the basin is endorheic, receiving inflow from ephemeral highland streams and subterranean discharge influenced by groundwater gradients linked to nearby volcanic aquifers and altiplano recharge. Seasonal snowmelt from surrounding ranges and sporadic convective precipitation events during the austral summer fuel transient lagoons and salt crust dissolution–precipitation cycles, similar to processes documented for Salar de Uyuni and Salar de Tara. The regional climate is hyperarid to arid due to the Humboldt Current and the Andean rain shadow, with mean annual precipitation varying markedly across elevation and exhibiting strong interannual variability tied to El Niño–Southern Oscillation. High diurnal temperature ranges and intense solar radiation accelerate evapotranspirative concentration of solutes, promoting halite, gypsum, and carbonate mineral precipitation analogous to deposits in the Atacama Desert evaporitic environments.
Despite the harsh environment, the salar and its peripheral wetlands host specialized biota adapted to saline, high‑UV, and hypoxic conditions. Vegetation assemblages on littoral flats include halophytic and xerophytic species similar to those recorded around Salar de Atacama and in Altiplano puna wetlands, inhabited by insects and invertebrates that form trophic links to avifauna. Seasonal and permanent lagoons attract Andean waterbirds such as James's flamingo, Andean flamingo, and Puna flamingo, which feed on halophilic microalgae and brine shrimp species that thrive in saline waters comparable to those of Salar de Uyuni. The surrounding puna supports camelids like Vicuña and native camelid grazing by Llama and Alpaca in historic pastoral systems, and the site contributes to migratory and breeding networks across Andean wetland complexes including the Bofedales.
Human presence in the basin extends back to pre‑Hispanic occupations by Andean peoples who utilized highland corridors connecting settlements such as Tiwanaku and coastal trading centers like Chinchorro. Archaeological traces and ethnohistoric records indicate pastoralism, salt extraction, and caravan routes tying the salar to altiplano socio‑economic landscapes that included links with Inca networks and colonial hacienda systems. During the 19th and 20th centuries the region featured in resource exploration campaigns for salts and brines, paralleling industrial interest in neighboring deposits exploited for nitrates in the Atacama and lithium in other salars. Contemporary land tenure involves indigenous communities, municipal jurisdictions such as Pica and Iquique, and regulatory frameworks defined within Chilean territorial administration, intersecting conservation priorities and small‑scale pastoral livelihoods.
Access to the salt flat is generally via unpaved roads and highland tracks from routes connecting Iquique, Pica, and altiplano border crossings like Colchane, with 4x4 vehicles commonly used. Tourist interest focuses on scenic landscapes, birdwatching tied to flamingo colonies, and geological observation comparable to visits to Salar de Uyuni and protected areas like Los Flamencos National Reserve. Infrastructure is limited; visitors typically engage with local guides and community‑based tourism operators from nearby towns, and travel is often seasonal to avoid adverse weather during austral summer storms associated with El Niño. Conservation and sustainable access discussions mirror debates in Andean protected area management involving entities such as CONAF and regional planning authorities.
Category:Salt flats of Chile Category:Landforms of Tarapacá Region